On an average day, about a dozen new games are released on Steam. And while we think that's a good thing, it can be understandably hard to keep up with. Potentially exciting gems are sure to be lost in the deluge of new things to play unless you sort through every single game that is released on Steam. So that’s exactly what we’ve done. If nothing catches your fancy this week, we've gathered the best PC games you can play right now and a running list of the 2021 games that are launching this year.
Fisti-Fluffs
Steam page
Release: September 24
Developer: Playfellow Studio
Launch price: $20 | £20 | AU$31
Here's a game about cats beating the absolute fluff out of each other, both with friends (up to four locally, with Remote Play Together support) or against AI. The combat is all about goofy physics, and is as much about the collateral damage received by furniture and ornaments as it is about actual cat beefs. Environments in the six arenas have a high level destruction, and you can apparently use baking trays as projectiles—nice. There are four game modes and lots of different cats to choose from, each customisable with hats and outfits. Too many dog-themed games lately: this one's for the cat lovers.
Citystate 2
Steam page
Release: September 24
Developer: Andy Sztark
Launch price: $25 | £20 | AU$30
The original Citystate was an engrossing city builder which focused as much on politics as it did plonking zones onto a map. In addition to looking a lot prettier, this sequel seems to double down on the political aspect of the original. "This game contains economic slang, a bunch of statistics and depicts political ideologies in an arbitrary and subjective way," the Steam page warns. There's quite a bit involved in this sim, including the management of unemployment, immigration, and more across 51 policies with "204 distinct options." Probably not the kind of sim you'll want to play to zone out at the end of the day, but it looks like a fascinating sandbox.
Source of Madness
Steam page
Release: September 23
Developer: Carry Castle
Launch price: $17 | £14 | AU$23.95
Here's a grim sidescrolling action game with a debt to HP Lovecraft, though Source of Madness is a rare case of a game that seems to take that inspiration seriously. You see, the monsters in this roguelike are procedurally generated, so you won't just find a bunch of typical Cthulhu mythos beasts: you're going to see some weird shit. The action itself looks fluid and fun, coming across as Dead Cells with a more gothic setting, and the world itself is also randomised and "rendered in a beautiful AI assisted art style." Source of Madness is in Early Access and will stay there for half a year while the studio adds new story acts and more biomes, among other things.
If On A Winter's Night, Four Travelers
Steam page
Release: September 22
Developer: Dead Idle Games
Launch price: Free
Here's a point and click narrative adventure mostly set on a train that is also a masked ball. Set in the 1920s, it has a gorgeous isometric pixel art style and will run around three to four hours depending how quickly you play. Did I mention it's a horror game? Not sure how, but that's probably the point. Early reviews have been extremely positive, and if you happen to love this free game you can easily pay the developer via the Supporter Pack on the Steam page.
ToruTaru
Steam page
Release: September 21
Developer: hiddenVisions
Launch price: $5 | £4| AU$7.50
Another grimy, pixelly, PS1-style horror game—has the inevitable fatigue set in yet? Not for me at least, and ToruTaru looks utterly fascinating. The Early Access first-person horror game is set in a "AI-generated" mansion. Your girlfriend is being held in this mansion for some reason, and that's not good news because it is alarmingly named Manor For The Forever Tormented. Probably a shit place to be! It looks like an even split between scares and solving problems, with collectible Talismans serving as roguelike-style game modifiers. ToruTaru will stay in Early Access for up to two years, but the game is reportedly very fun as it is right now.
These games were released between September 20 and 27 2021. Some online stores give us a small cut if you buy something through one of our links. Read our affiliate policy for more info.
